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Eric Moreno

Eric Moreno is a Content Curator with the Salud America! program at UT Health San Antonio. He specializes in covering the topics of health equity and family and social support. He holds a BA from the University of Texas at San Antonio and an MA from Gonzaga University.


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Articles by Eric Moreno

City Councilman Helps Save Education Program for Low-Income Students



Latino students sometimes struggle to continue their education, which can hinder their long-term life outlook. In San Antonio, TX (63.34% Latino population), many students have counted on the Upward Bound Program from the U.S. Department of Education to help prepare them for college. However, according to the San Antonio Express-News, funding for the program – which has been in operation for the last 20 years in the city’s primarily Latino-populated South San Independent School District (SSAISD) – has been cut and was in danger of not continuing. According to reports, 64 SSAISD students participate in Upward Bound. “[That] number probably would have increased to about 100 had there been enough funding to continue the program this year and recruit a new freshman class ...

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Tech Guru Brings Healthcare to Latinos in Houston


Dr. Peter Kim

Peter Kim is a sort of accidental convert to the world of telehealth. Kim was about to start his labor-intensive medical residency—but he also wanted to continue his work as a community health coordinator with Harbor Health Home in Houston. How could he do both? Telehealth. Kim began to further explore how to use telehealth to better support low-income Latino families in accessing healthcare to treat and prevent illnesses across Houston and beyond. Peter Kim already knew that a lack of access is one of the main inequities that keep many Latinos from obtaining the best quality healthcare possible. Technology as a healthcare tool In Houston, Texas (43.86% Latino population), the nation’s fourth-largest city, many Latino, Asian, and low-income families struggle to manage ...

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Teenagers Help Erase School Lunch Debt



It cannot be emphasized enough: kids need to eat healthy, nutritious meals in order for them to succeed academically. There is an indisputable link between nutrition and the development of children’s brains. Despite this importance, many kids go hungry. Kids from low-income families, including a disproportionate number of Latinos, often go without meals at school because the owe money. School lunch debt is a huge issue in cities across the country. A 2016 survey by the School Nutrition Association of 1,000 school meal program operators, about 75% of districts had unpaid student meal debt at the end of the school year. The median amount of debt per district was $2,000, but it can run much higher in large districts. For example, the Oakland Unified School District in Oakland, ...

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City Looks to Increase Minimum Wage; Faces Resistance from State



Few factors are as important to a person’s health as their income. Millions of Latinos and other minorities struggle to make ends meet financially because of low-wage jobs. Low wages lead to housing instability, food insecurity, and poor health. In recent years, cities across the country have pursued efforts to raise the minimum wage so that workers will have a better chance of getting ahead, accumulating wealth, and provide better living environments for their families. One such example is found in Kansas City, MO (14.54% Latino population), in which voters overwhelmingly approved raising the minimum wage from $7.70 to $10 an hour. This would precede annual increases up to $15 by 2022. “We are so pleased that Kansas City has demonstrated a progressive political perspective ...

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Do Latinos Live in the Safest Cities in America?



It’s a fact. Where you live greatly affects your health. Live near a major road? A power plant? Or a densely populated neighborhood? Are you close to a supermarket? All of these factors – and more – impact your health on a day-to-day basis. For many low-income and Latino families, live in areas that have been classified as food deserts, with little to no access to healthy food options, safe places for physical activity, or access to quality health care. Many of these highly segregated areas are high in crime and poverty. The data analyzation web site, Niche, has compiled a ranking of the “Safest Places to Live” for 2017. How does this list impact Latinos? Most and Least Safe Cities in the U.S. By studying FBI reports on numerous crime factors in cities (9,932 of them) ...

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Why Everybody’s Free to Wear Sunscreen in New York


Getting ready for the beach

As temperatures blaze this summer, don't forget the water and the sunscreen! Latinos, who face a shockingly high risk of skin cancer, should wear head covering, sunglasses, and sunscreen to protect against the sun. What if you can't afford find or afford sunscreen, though? A cool new initiative in New York City (28.9% Latino population) offers free sunscreen dispensers in all five city boroughs, CityLab reports. “The mix of raising awareness about the problem of melanoma and providing a free preventive measure [sunscreen] is an easy step towards reducing skin cancer,” said Bright Guard CEO and Co-Founder Ryan Warren told CityLab. The Myth of Latinos and No Skin Cancer It is true that skin damage from the sun, which can lead to skin cancer, affects those with lighter ...

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How to Encourage SNAP Participants to Eat Healthier



Since its inception, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has become the most important anti-hunger program in the United States. The program has helped benefit millions of low-income Latino families out of poverty and support them by providing an “adequate diet.” Overall, Latinos have a higher poverty rate than the national average. According to a survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2016, nearly 1 in 5 Latinos (21% overall) lived below the federal poverty line. This compares to the national average of 1 in 7 people. Latino households are also more likely to experience food insecurity on a regular basis compared to the national average. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees SNAP benefits, recently announced awards of nearly $17 million to ...

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New Affordable Housing Initiative Proposed for Austin



Where you live matters. There is no escaping how important that housing impacts an individual’s life. Where someone lives affects their income and education levels, their access to opportunities, and their overall health. In many “big cities” in the United States, housing costs force some low-income and Latino families to make difficult financial decisions. Many forgo medical expenses, utilities, and sometimes food in an effort to pay rent or mortgages each month. The city of Austin, Texas (34.5% Latino population), has earned a reputation as one of the most segregated cities in the country. In an effort to combat this unfortunate trend, the Austin City Council approved a resolution to “better spread affordable housing throughout the city,” reports the Austin ...

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Salvation Army in Chattanooga Helps Residents ‘Beat the Heat’



With temperatures this summer reaching into the triple digits in many cities across the country, staying hydrated is crucially important for everyone. In many low-income and Latino neighborhoods, this becomes problematic, as access to clean drinking water is not always readily available. In Chattanooga, Tenn. (5.41% Latino population), the city’s branch of the Salvation Army has launched a new campaign to help residents in the area keep cool and stay hydrated during the summer, according to a report from WDEF News. “I don’t know how folks make it through the hot days of summer,” said Kimberly George, a representative with the Salvation Army said in an interview with WDEF. “It is so hot that it is life threatening.” The Salvation Army’s “Beat the Heat” campaign, ...

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